Marie Élisabeth Thible – France

Born in Lyon, France, Marie Élisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly on June 4, 1784.

8 months after the first manned balloon flight, Count Jean-Baptiste de Laurencin got cold feet and gave his spot on a planned balloon flight to Marie Élisabeth. She dressed as a Roman goddess and sang “La Belle Arsène”, a celebrated opera of the time, as the balloon ascended to 1,500 meters (5,000 ft.). The flight lasted 45 minutes, traveled about three miles and reached a height of 8,500 feet.